Relay



.N0.'s|7,s54. Patented 1an. i7, |899.

J. P. COLEMAN.

RELAY.

A Application `1ed Jan. 20, 1898.) Ulu Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

4 'gv 'igV/l//f/ K/ a FI'G. I.

WITNESSES: INVEITOR,

Patented 1an. I7, [899.

.1. P. COLEMAN.

RELAY. (Application led Jan 20, 18083 @In Modal.)

Q WW @3mm mvEN-ron,

Patented lan. I7, |899.

3 Sheets-Sheet .3.

B E L AY.

(Application filed Jaxx. 20, 1898A P. CULEMAN.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR,

I 4Atty.

WITNESSES:

LIL

. inse adjusting the magnets, armature, and

Aindicated by the line I I, Fig. 2.

vUNITnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jenn rnnssLnvootnivrAN, on'nnenvvoon PARK, rnnnsvLvAniA,

Assienon To THE UNIoNstvrren AND SIGNAL conrANv, on

SlVISS/IALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RELAY.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,854, dated January l?, i899. Application filed January 20, 18.98. Serial No, 687,265. y(No model.)

The invention described herein relates tov certain improvements in relays, the improvement being especially applicable to that class or kind of relays known as tivo or three point relays. It has heretofore been customary to form the contactfnger of the relay of light resilient material riveted or otherwise iixedly attached 'tothe armature or its lever, so that -it will yield when its end is brought into contact with one of the stops by the movement of thevarmature-lever toward the magnets. Considerable diiiiculty has been encountered contact stops and plates that both of the latter will be brought simultaneously against their stops. Unless these parts are thus accurately adjusted one of the contact springs or plates will vstrike against its stop and wholly prevent or present considerable resistance to the movement of the other contact plate or plates against the other stop or stops.

The object of the present invention is to so` construct the several parts that entire free-f dem or iiexibility of movement of the' armature on its lever and the contactplates on their supports can be attained. I

' In general terms the invention consists in the `construction andcombi'nation snbstantially as hereinafter more Afully described and claimed..

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l' is a sec'- tional elevation, the plane of section being Fig. 2 is a plan View of the under side of the lrelay, showing the lever armature and contact; plates. Fig. 3 .is a sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line Ill III, Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a sectional plan view, the plane of section being indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a sectional 5o elevation, the plane oi section being indicated by the line VV, Fig. i; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view'of the armature-lever and parts carried thereby.

In the practice of my invention the magnets l are secured to the sappiate 2, which is provided with openings to permit the poles of the magnets to project through by means of bolts 3, passing through the cap-plate and screwing into the end plate Li, to which the 6o upper ends of the magnets areattached. (ln` its u nder side the cap-plate is `provided with depending lugs 5, provded'with threaded openings for the recept-ion of the threaded plugs 6, having conical recesses in their ends for the reception of the correspondiugly#A shaped ends of the shaft or spindle 7. This shaft or spindle serves as a pivotal support for the lever S, which is secured to said shaft, so that the ,latter will move therewith. In ye order that the lever may move freely either toward or from the magnets, a Weight 9 is secured thereto on the opposite side ofthe shaft or spindle of such sizeas tonearly counterbalance the weight of the parts carried by the lever, as hereinafter described. The armature l0 is secured upon the transverse pin ll, Whose projecting ends are made conical to tit in corresponding seats formed, respectively, in a shoulder on 'the lever and 8o the end of a pin 12, screwing through a lug 13, formed on or secured to the lever, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 4, and 6. This pin All is secured to the armature about midway of the length of the latter, and the leveris so S5 secured on the shaft or spindle r'that it will lie in a plane passing between the magnets l, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. ItWill be observed that the axes of rotation-of 'the shaft 7 and pin ll are in planes at right 9c.y

angles to each other, and so form a universallyjointed support for the armature.

yOne er more contactplates 15, preferably slightly resilient, are att-ached, :.to arma" ture. These plates are carried byarms'le, 95 'which areseenred to, but insulatedtroimthe armature l0 on either side of its pivotal support, and .to the proj ectins ends et' these arms are pivotally connected the contact-plates 15, preferably by means of blocks 1G, which are riveted or soldered to the contact-plates and pivot-ally connected to the arms. These blocks 16 areso attached to the contact-plates and so pivotally connected to the arms that the plates are Weighted by said blocks so as to hold lugs or stops 17 against the arms and thereby maintain the plates in a horizontal position, but with a freedom'ot movement under circumstances to be hereinafter described. llhile the ends of the contact-plates may be so shaped as to form bearings to strike against the bearing-plates in the ends of stops 1S, it is preferred to employ platinum as the bearings on the plates 15 andthe stops 1S. These stops 18, which forni the front contacts, consist of a holt passing through, but insulated from, the cap-plate and having their stem portions threaded for the reception of a hold ing-nut 19 and a clamping-nut 20, whereby the wire conductor can be electrically connected therewith. The back contacts are formed by screws 21 passing through bars 22, having oneend supported by, but insulated .fronn arms 253,- Which project laterally from a bracket 2st, secured to the under side of the cap-plate 2. 22 are electrically secured to the lower ends of elongated heads 25, which are yprovided With threaded stems 26, passing through, but insulated from, the cap-plate 2 and are held in place byy nuts 27. On these stems are also screwed clamping-nuts 2S, whereby the ends of conductors can be secured. lt will be observed that this'ccns-truction forms very ef-v fective electrical' connection between bachstops 21 and the conductors.

Under the usual and' normal operation of this device the bach-stop 21 will be suiticient for the operation of the relay; but as it sometimes occurs that the contact-plates become 'welded or attached to the front contacts by reason of heavy currents passing along the conductors provision is made for the formation of a shunt-circuit around the relay. This shunt-circuit is, as described in application Serial No. G60,l78, filed December 2, 1897, formed in part by thecontact-plates 15 and auxiliary bacl; con tact-points 21%. These auxiliary bach contacts are formed by screws passing through the bars 22 in such position that when the forward ends of the contact-plates adhere to theV l'ron't contact-'points their rear ends will strike against the bach contacts 2liL when the magnets are deenergized, all as f ull y described in the application referred to.

lt is characteristic of my improvement that the axes of the pivotal supports of the lever and armature are arranged at or approximately at right angles to each other and that said axes are in the same or parallel planes, which are at or approximately at right angles to a plane passing through the axesof the cores ot' the magnets. By reason of such construction and arrangement oi' the pivotal supports the armaturecan readily accommomagnet.

The opposite ends of these bars date itsell` and be brought into contact with the poles of the magnets, in ease the latter should lie in dillerent horizontal planes, the pivotal support of the armature on its lever permitting the automatic adjustment of the armature to the positions of the poles of the Also the pivotal connection of the contact-plates to the pi votally-mounted armature will permit of the automatic adjustment of the contact-plates in case the iront contact-points should be in dillerent horizontal planes, thereby insuring good electrical contacts even when parts oli the relays should be somewhat out of normal position.

As described in the application above referred to, the movable part-s of the relay are inclosed in a glass shell 20, which is clamped betweenthe' cap-plate 2 and the bottom plate 30, thereby hermetically sealing such movable parts and permitting the easy inspection thereof. v

l claim herein as my invention- 1. The combinationof a magnet, aleverpiv- `oted in suitable relation to the poles of the magnet, and an armature pivotally mounted on the lever With its pivotal laxis at right angies to the axis off the lever, the axes of the pivotal supports of the lever and armatl'irc being in the same or parallel planes, which aro at or approximately at right angles to a plane passing through the axis of the magnet, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a magnet, an armature and pivotal supports for the armature having their axes at right angles to each other and lying in the same or parallel planes which are at right angles to a plane passing through the axis of the magnet, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a magnet, an armature, pivotal supports for the armature so arranged as to permit of movements ol` thc armature in planes at an anglo to each other and contact-plates pivotally mounted on the armature, substantially as set forth.

t.. The combination of a magnet, an armature, pivotal supports for the armature having their axes at or approximately at right angles to each other, and lyingin the same or parallel planes, which are at or approximately at right anglesto a plane passing through the axis of the magnet and contact-plates attached to the' armature, substantially as sot .c r. 10ft/Ll..

5. ln a relay the combination of a magnet, an armature, contact-plates pivotally mounted on the armaturo,.a binding-screw, a bar secured to the binding-screw, and a screw passing through the bar and forming a back. contact for the contact-plates, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony Wheaeot l have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN PRESSLEY COLEMAN.

Witnesses DARWIN/S. ll'oteorr, lf. GAiTnnl-z.

IOC)

IIO 

